Narrative:

I am a student pilot and was on my long solo cross country. I approached the tlh airport for a landing. I monitored the ATIS and it reported wind as 010 degrees at 7 KTS. The approach controller advised me to enter left base runway 9. I considered this and decided that I could handle this crosswind. I had started down late and was concentrating on descending, the ride became fairly choppy and I ended up working real hard to get the airplane on the runway. I reached for the microphone to get a wind check and decided that I needed the microphone hand on the yoke. I flared several times because the airplane went up every time I did. I finally got on the ground and taxied in. The FBO had an ASOS phone number posted, which I called. It reported the wind at 010 degrees at 17 KTS. This was well beyond any crosswind that I would have accepted. Now that I have experienced this, I will recognize it sooner and ask for a wind check and different runway. ATC never took it upon themselves to issue wind, even though it was 10 KTS different than on the ATIS. ATC also assigned me, in a light aircraft, to a runway with a 17 KT almost direct crosswind when there was another runway almost directly aligned with the wind. I don't consider this acceptable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR ASSIGNED STUDENT PLT LNDG CLRNC ON RWY WITH 17 KT XWIND (80 DEG) WHEN THERE WAS AVAILABLE A LNDG RWY ORIENTED ALMOST DIRECTLY INTO THE WIND.

Narrative: I AM A STUDENT PLT AND WAS ON MY LONG SOLO XCOUNTRY. I APCHED THE TLH ARPT FOR A LNDG. I MONITORED THE ATIS AND IT RPTED WIND AS 010 DEGS AT 7 KTS. THE APCH CTLR ADVISED ME TO ENTER L BASE RWY 9. I CONSIDERED THIS AND DECIDED THAT I COULD HANDLE THIS XWIND. I HAD STARTED DOWN LATE AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON DSNDING, THE RIDE BECAME FAIRLY CHOPPY AND I ENDED UP WORKING REAL HARD TO GET THE AIRPLANE ON THE RWY. I REACHED FOR THE MIKE TO GET A WIND CHK AND DECIDED THAT I NEEDED THE MIKE HAND ON THE YOKE. I FLARED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE WENT UP EVERY TIME I DID. I FINALLY GOT ON THE GND AND TAXIED IN. THE FBO HAD AN ASOS PHONE NUMBER POSTED, WHICH I CALLED. IT RPTED THE WIND AT 010 DEGS AT 17 KTS. THIS WAS WELL BEYOND ANY XWIND THAT I WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED. NOW THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS, I WILL RECOGNIZE IT SOONER AND ASK FOR A WIND CHK AND DIFFERENT RWY. ATC NEVER TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO ISSUE WIND, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 10 KTS DIFFERENT THAN ON THE ATIS. ATC ALSO ASSIGNED ME, IN A LIGHT ACFT, TO A RWY WITH A 17 KT ALMOST DIRECT XWIND WHEN THERE WAS ANOTHER RWY ALMOST DIRECTLY ALIGNED WITH THE WIND. I DON'T CONSIDER THIS ACCEPTABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.